Mars

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Mars
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Essential Points

1. Mars is about half the size of Earth
2. Mars has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere
3. Mars has volcanoes and faults but no plate
   tectonics
4. Mars had liquid water early in its history
5. Evidence for life on Mars is debatable

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Mars

• About half the size of Earth
• Rotates in 24.5 hours
• Ranges from 207 to 249 million km (129 to 155
  million miles) from Sun
• Period 687 days
• Two tiny satellites

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Mars and Earth
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The Surface of Mars

• Thin carbon dioxide atmosphere about 1/150 as
  dense as Earths
• Surface temperatures -20 to -200 C
• Polar caps of ice and frozen carbon dioxide
• Large rift valley (Vallis Marineris)
• Huge Shield Volcanoes (Olympus Mons)
• Evidence for former liquid water

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Mars as Lowell Knew It
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Lowells Mars
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Lowells Venus
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Modern Imaging Technology Improves Earth-Based
Views of Mars Greatly
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Mars from Mariner 9
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Mars Viking Mosaic
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Mars Topography
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Vallis Marineris
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Huge Landslide in Vallis Marineris
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Layered Deposits in Vallis Marineris
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Active Landslide on Mars
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Active Landslide on Mars
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Olympus Mons
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Summit of Olympus Mons
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Phobos over Olympus Mons
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Mars Polar Caps
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Polar Cliffs on Mars
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Dunes on Mars
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Water on Mars
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Channels on Mars
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Floods on Mars
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Wheres the Water Now?
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Recent Water on Mars?
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How to Lose an Ocean

• If water is exposed to solar UV and particles, it
  breaks down to H O (photo-dissociation)
• Happens if water gets into upper atmosphere
• Planet gets hot (Venus)
• Planet loses atmosphere (Mars)
• Oxygen combines with iron and other elements, on
  Mars may also have escaped

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Landing on Mars
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Mars as Seen by Viking
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Mars from Pathfinder
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Martian Winter
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Martian Sunset
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Layered Rocks on Mars
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Cape St. Vincent
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Opportunitys Shadow
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Spirit Makes Tracks
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Digging Out
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Hole on Mars
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Wind Erosion on Mars
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Ice in Martian Crater
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Martian Glacier?
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Martian Glacier?
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Martian Dust Devil
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Dust Devil Tracks
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Phobos and Deimos
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Phobos and its Shadow
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Martian Solar Eclipses
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Earth From Mars
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Jupiter From Mars
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The Face on Mars
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Martian Meteorite
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Martian Fossils ?
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Essential Points

1. Mars is about half the size of Earth
2. Mars has a thin carbon dioxide atmosphere
3. Mars has volcanoes and faults but no plate
   tectonics
4. Mars had liquid water early in its history
5. Evidence for life on Mars is debatable